5 Californians Among 18 Cited as Carnegie Heroes

PITTSBURGH — Two teen-agers who helped rescue an 11-year-old girl from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico were among 18 people in 10 states--five of them Californians--honored today by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

Of the 18, five died in their rescue attempts, including one of the Californians among those honored by the commission.

Elizabeth Scott Shatto, 16, and Christina Drury, 16, both of Houston, rushed to save Lynette Bennett from drowning near Surfside, Tex., last Aug. 18.

Each teen-ager rushed into the water after the little girl was carried about 300 feet from shore by the current and grabbed one of her arms, the commission said. Despite a strong current and rough surf, the two swam back toward shore, pulling Lynette.

In addition to the two Texas girls, others honored today included:

--Theodore Hansen, 38, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., who died trying to save a 4-year-old boy from drowning in the Pacific Ocean on June 17, 1984, and Daine N. Vannett, 21, of Newbury Park, Calif., who took the boy from the unconscious Hansen.

--Javier Geraldo Meza, 24, of Santa Rosa, Calif., who saved a 66-year-old man from armed assault on Dec. 31, 1986.

--Glenn M. Koppes, 23, of Bellflower, Calif., and Daniel Carl Tourville, 29, of Westminster, Colo., who helped to save a 10-year-old boy from drowning in the Pacific on Jan. 11, 1987.

--Terry M. Coats, 24, of Riverside, Calif., who helped to rescue a 36-year-old man from a burning apartment following a natural gas explosion on April 21, 1987.

The other recipients were from West Virginia, Michigan, North Carolina, Iowa, Florida, Rhode Island and Missouri.

Today’s recipients bring to 7,199 the number of Americans and Canadians who have been awarded the Carnegie Medal since 1904 when industrialist Andrew Carnegie established the Pittsburgh-based fund to recognize what he called the “heroes of civilization.” Of that number, 1,487 died performing their acts of heroism.

Each of today’s recipients, or their survivors, received a $2,500 grant and a bronze medal with a verse from the New Testament that reads: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

So far, the fund has given $17.1 million in one-time payments and continuing pensions.